Nice, too, that you're researching the history of the patterns that you tie up; I think it adds a lot to the enjoyment of both tying and fishing them.

A smooth thread base is the key to getting your foil body to lie nice and flat when the wraps are butted together. Leave a little space just behind the eye of the hook (about and eye-width) when you start your thread; it helps with minimalizing thread build up when you're adding materials like bucktail and it helps smooth and shape the head. Ideally, you'd like to finish the pattern; all materials tyed in, with a slightly undersized head, then build it up, as needed, with additional thread wraps to get the size and proportion that you want. Don't forget that head cement adds to the overall perceived bulk of the head.